Tag Archives: Yves Rocher

What’s going on? One minute Iris and I are not speaking, next thing, she’s top of my Christmas List and I’m giving her rave reviews.

Once again, Iris has attracted me rather than repelled me and this time it’s Yves Rocher who are responsible. After enjoying Miller Harris’ Terre D’Iris and bagging a bottle of Prada Infusion D’Iris for Christmas, there’s no stopping me.

However, all the Iris Scents I like have one thing in common: they are used in combination with citrus notes. This seems to dispel my previous conception of Iris as a grey,earthy, rooty scent that often made me feel claustrophobic, as if I was face down in powder with the windows shut. When used alongside citrus, Iris is lightened up and becomes a prettier floral note. In fact, used in this way, it’s a little bit addictive.

Yves Rocher Secrets D’Essence Iris Noir is a beautifully done Iris scent that is combined with Bergamot to keep it light and flowery and feminine. There are not many notes to start with, just a hint of Pepper here, perhaps a sniff of Coriander there. When the basenotes come along and the Patchouli envelopes it, it becomes a beautiful rich and spiky scent with a delicious Iris backdrop. It’s blended smoothly and moves from day to evening in one silky move. Iris Noir indeed.

Longevity is good at around five hours, and the price is reasonable at 22GBP for 50ml. Yves Rocher always chuck in freebies and samples, so it’s worth ordering from them online. Spoil yourself. I dare you.

Comme Une Evidence Eau de Parfum Intense was launched in July 2013, ten years after the original Comme Une Evidence. It was created by the prolific Annick Menardo, who also created a few legends such as Bulgari Black, Hypnotic Poison and Xeryus Rouge.

My bottle of Comme Une Evidence EDP Intense was very kindly sent to me by Yves Rocher on hearing my disappointment that Rose Absolue had been discontinued. I am under no obligation to like anything that is sent to me, and I am free to disparage as I see fit, but I actually do like this very much.

An impossibly feminine floral, with dominant Rose, this is made with Damascus Rose, which, to quote the blurb “Damascus Rose is picked at dawn and provides a fruity-honey scent”. This, along with the praline note, is the little something that lands this somewhere between the aforementioned La Vie est Belle and Pleasures.

It is light, clean and floral and the Rose does indeed dominate, but in a rich velvety way, rather than being like Turkish Delight, as Rose so often can be.

The notes are few and simple: Rose, Jasmine, Wood, and Praline. I would say that’s a fair description and I would heartily recommend this pretty scent. The Rose stays true and lasts long on my skin. Longevity is around six to seven hours.

You can find it on the Yves Rocher website, for only £22, and do take note that they always send freebies, and three free samples with every order, so it’s worth checking out other scents when you order.

I last visited an Yves Rocherstore when I was in Poitiers in March. How I wished they had these stores in the UK! The website is excellent, and you always get samples with every order, but it’s not the same as sniffing your way round a ton of testers and leaving with a pretty bag full of goodies.

Yves Rocher Rose Absolue is a simple Rose scent, and sometimes that’s just what I want. I used to keep Rosewater in the kitchen. It is excellent on strawberries, which may be why my overwhelming impression on first sniffing Rose Absolue was of strawberry cream chocolates (Quality Street or Roses, I’m not fussy).

The notes listed on Fragrantica are: Cinnamon, Rose, Patchouli, Cedar and Tonka bean. Maybe if I was really pushed I would say there is indeed a hint of Patchouli, and Cinnamon, but otherwise, it’s Rose petals all the way, with an Almond finish.

It is an excellent Rose, scent although no two Roses are the same. Rose fragrances can be Rose/Musk, Rose/Spice, Rose/Chypre, etc. Yves Rocher’s contribution is, initially at least, Rose Caramel. After a few minutes, the Caramel drifted away, leaving an almost medicinal rose scent behind, which was very agreeable indeed. Longevity is excellent at around nine hours and I kept catching delightful wafts as I moved.

As I came to conclude this review and supply you with stockists, I came a cropper. Reader, I have sadly led you a merry dance. This has been discontinued and is very hard to get hold of, even on the French website. However, all may not be lost.

I wrote to the Yves Rocher Press Office and they confirmed that this is no longer made, but they have just launched Comme Une Evidence Intense which, they assure me, has dominant Damsask Rose notes. They will be sending me a sample in the post and I will duly review and report back to you.

As much as I love fragrance, with all the complicated accords and concoctions and top, middle and basenotes; sometimes, all I want is the simplicity of a Rose.